WiretoWire: J.T. Poston shines in Sin City

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, and J.T. Poston is now etched in the Shriners Children’s Open’s esteemed lore. The eighth-year PGA TOUR pro earned his third TOUR title Sunday, carding a final-round, 4-under 67 at TPC Summerlin for a 22-under total and one-stroke victory over Doug Ghim. Poston curled in a winning 4-foot par putt at the par-4 18th after his playing partner Ghim drained a 6-foot birdie to apply some pressure. Poston shared the lead as the third round was suspended due to darkness Saturday evening (a byproduct of high winds that delayed Friday’s play by four hours). He returned Sunday morning to play his final five holes in 3-under, carrying a three-stroke edge into the final round. Poston, 31, made five final-round birdies that allowed him to offset a missed par putt from inside 4 feet at the par-3 17th.

“This is what you dream of,” said Poston, who was congratulated on the 18th green by fellow TOUR pros from his adopted hometown of St. Simons Island, Georgia, including last month’s Fortinet Championship winner Patton Kizzire. Poston finished No. 41 on the FedExCup and is exempt into all 2025 Signature Events, and the North Carolina native will receive a Masters invitation via his victory in Las Vegas. For the Western Carolina alum who earned his first TOUR card via the 2016 Korn Ferry Tour, after beginning that season with no status, it has been a steady upward progression in professional golf. Could the best be yet to come? Time will tell.

All go to the ZOZO

The PGA TOUR heads to Japan for the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, the fifth of eight events and the first international event in the FedExCup Fall series. A star-studded 78-man field heads to ACCORDIA GOLF in Chiba, Japan, including defending champion Collin Morikawa, who looks to become the first player to defend his title at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, Justin Thomas, Hideki Matsuyama and Xander Schauffele. With three events remaining in the FedExCup Fall to lock up PGA TOUR cards for the 2025 season, the FedExCup bubble action continues to heat up. The top 125 players in the FedExCup Fall standings after The RSM Classic will secure full PGA TOUR status for next season.

Video of the week

University of Florida senior Ian Gilligan survived a rare form of lymphoma when he was just 15 years old. Driven by his unique perspective, Gilligan, now 21, tees it up in his second-ever PGA TOUR event at the 2024 Shriners Children’s Open.

Mic check

“I think at times I was definitely guilty of taking it a little too seriously maybe or being a little too hard on myself. Since Scottie was born I feel like that's been a little bit of a 180, and just realizing that golf is not the most important thing. It's honestly far from it. That has given me a little bit more freedom on the golf course, knowing regardless of how I play I get to go home and grab her, hug her, and be with her. And so that's a huge win in my book.” – J.T. Poston after winning his third PGA TOUR title at Shriners Children’s Open

By the numbers

15 – TGL announced its inaugural season schedule, premiering Tuesday, Jan. 7, on ESPN and ESPN+. The schedule features 15 regular season matches, with four teams making the semifinals before the top two teams compete to win the best-of-three finals series.

5 – Five sites at PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry’s First Stage concluded this week, with top finishers advancing to PGA TOUR Q-School’s Second Stage, which will be contested in late November and early December.

54 – Tim O'Neal earned his first PGA TOUR Champions victory at Dominion Energy Charity Classic and moved inside the top 54 in the Charles Schwab Cup to qualify for the Simmons Bank Championship, the second stop in the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs.